Serbia

ABOUT SERBIA


Serbia is a country in the Southeast of Europe, located in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, where a majority of its 7 million citizens are Serbs, and the rest belong to 40 different national communities. Being a country of hospitable, emotional and joyful people, who possess a sense for sportsmanship, extraordinary traditions, and a huge cultural heritage, Serbia is one of those marks on a map of the world you need to discover and experience.

Serbia boasts a number of annual festivals, including the Guča Trumpet Festival or Exit in Novi Sad, recently awarded as the Best Major European Festival. Then there’s Belgrade, with its hedonistic floating nightclubs, which can easily be placed alongside Ibiza. Of course, it’s not all partying in Serbia: in Belgrade, the cobbled streets of Skadarlija hide beautiful galleries and museums and boast a lively cultural scene. If you head further, to the suburban hills, you will discover calm monasteries, picturesque villages and breathtaking creations of nature.

The five national parks with their dreamy landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, valuable historic, cultural and natural monuments and breathtaking vistas of untouched nature, showcase the very best of Serbia’s natural beauty.

Nature was generous to Serbia in the form of more than 1,000 geothermal and mineral waters in 40 Serbian spas, the most visited among them is Vrnjačka Banja.

Serbian cuisine is a fusion of Turkish, Hungarian and Mediterranean influences. From paprika – the red pepper, which you will find in salads, grilled, pickled, stuffed, mashed or as a relish (ajvar) – to dairy products, including kajmak, a skimmed heavy cream that goes well with grilled meats (pljeskavica, ćevapi). Another characteristic dish is a mixture of different types of meat and vegetables in a form of a stew (mućkalica) and beans (pasulj and prebranac). And you simply mustn't leave Serbia without tasting rakija – a type of brandy and the national drink of Serbia.


Key facts

Geographic location: Southeastern Europe, Balkan Peninsula, Western Balkans

Surface: 77,474 km2

Population: 7.022,00 inhabitants

Capital: Belgrade

Climate: moderate continental

Highest peak: Midžor (Stara planina), 2.169 m

Longest river: the Danube (of a total flow of 2.783 km, its length in Serbia is 588 km

National parks: Fruška Gora, Đerdap, Kopaonik, Tara and Šar Mountain.

Country calling code: +381

National currency: Dinar (RSD)

National vehicle code: SRB

Time zone: Central European CET (GMT +1 hour)

System of government: multi-party parliamentary republic

Official language: Serbian

Official script: Cyrillic

Belgrade

The capital of Serbia, Belgrade, „the “white city” is situated at the confluence of two big rivers – the Danube and the Sava.

Belgrade is a modern european city with population of about 1.7 million people. It is an administrative, political and cultural center of the country. The sessions of Serbian parliament and government are being held in Belgrade, and the office of the President is also in it. The buildings that host these institutions are themselves monuments of great cultural importance and therefore a part of every visitor’s itinerary.

In Belgrade you can also find one quite specific monument – “The house of flowers” (Kuća cveća). It is the burial place of Josip Broz Tito, the former president of Yugoslavia and a person that has marked the second half of the XX century in this part of the world. Whether due to their nostalgia or just simple curiosity, this monument attracts a great number of visitors from the region, but also from the world.

Still, Belgrade is most famous for its vibrant nightlife and the vast variety of options it offers for having fun. Here you can find your own place of joy no matter what kind of music you prefer, how much money you have or what kind of food you like to eat. There is something for everybody: from modern restaurants, “splavs“ (floating river clubs), alternative music clubs and theatres to famous „kafanas“ (traditional Serbian taverns) of the bohemian street Skadarlija.

Take a walk along Knez Mihailova Boulevard, or visit the ancient Kalemegdan Citadel, the real crown of the city, visit the magnificent Saint Sava Temple, cruise the Belgrade's rivers. Then there’s Savamala, a rundown area near central Belgrade, which has gained the title of the city’s creative hub and definitely shows that the Serbian capital is a cultured city on the move.

Novi Sad

Novi Sad is the hometown of the imposing Petrovaradin Fortress, an old town with the most pleasant pedestrian zone, numerous churches and noteworthy museums and galleries, which make it comparable to much larger cities. It is also the host of the annual Exit Music Festival in July, one of the best music events in Europe that brings together famous musicians from around the world.

During the ages, the town grew into one of the most beautiful cities in this part of Europe – Novi Sad, known also as “the Serbian Athens” due to its remarkable culture and history. According to this legend, the city has been founded by 12 soldiers and 20 craftsmen (bakers, butchers and others). Novi Sad is the capital of autonomous province of Vojvodina.

Take a walk around the old centre of the city, the “Trg slobode” (freedom square) from the 18th century, catholic church called “Church of Maria’s name,” built in neogothic style, while Zmaj Jova street will take you to the “Vladičanski dvor.” Enjoy a walk along Dunavska street - the oldest street of Novi Sad, as well as relaxing in the Dunavski park, the most beautiful park in Novi Sad. Visit Petrovaradin fortress on the right bank of the Danube, which was built in the time of the Austrian emperors Leopold I, Joseph I, Charles VI, Maria Teresa and Joseph II. Afterwards relax in one of the city’s most famous „kafanas” (traditional Serbian taverns) and relax or have fun deep into the night with great Vojvodinian cuisine and tremendous tamburitza bands (a kind of a string instrument).

Not far from the city lies the National park of Fruška gora, „the Serbian Mount Athos“, which extends over an area between the Sava and the Danube rivers and boasts as many as 35 Serbian Orthodox monasteries, and the town of Sremski Karlovci, known for its excellent wines and mystical rustic cellars. On this wine route don’t miss tasting bermet, the desert wine of this region, which was a favorite at the Viennese court.

The Shargan Eight, a romantic ride into the past

Owing to its rich history, interesting premonitions, the unusual shape and unimaginable surrounding landscapes, the Shargan Eight is righteously called the wonder of the railways and one of the most magnificent tourist attractions in Serbia.

Part of the railroad track that had once connected Europe to the Adriatic Sea over the hills, bridges and inaccessible sceneries, today represents one-of-a-kind tourist-museum railway. For less than fifty years, the famous “Ćira” has been riding through these hilly landscapes and mountain notches, leaving behind the smell of smoke and the recognizable “choo-choo” sound.

And that’s the way it is today. Although “Ćira” doesn’t drive down the railroad drawing the perfect eight any longer, the sound of steam locomotive and the smell of smoke, still fill up the fresh mountain air. The one to “blame” is the “Nostalgia” train which drives the curious passengers from Mokra Gora to Shargan Vitasi station. That is how the cheerful gurgle of the excited passengers spreads around the wagons whose clanking echoes across the quiet landscapes again.

Romantic ride on the „Nostalgia“, brings the old generations back to their distant past, and gives the opportunity to the young to get to know its small, but carefully kept part. And then it looks like nothing much has changed.

The Shargan “Eight” railroad has got its name because the above sea level of 300m is overcome by the rise upon the hills in the convoluted circles in the shape of number eight. One of the biggest attractions is Golubići station, made for the needs of Emir Kusturica’s movie “Life is a miracle”.